morae



2 Sheets-S heet 1.

G. J. MGRAE.

(No Model.)

PAPER FILE.

No. 361,772. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. MORAE, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS,ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO LEMUEL U. OOURTER AND JOSEPH O. WELSH, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

PAPER-Fl LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,772, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed February 19, 1887. Serial No. 228,162. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. MORAE, of Kansas Oity,\Vyandotte county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Files, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. v

This invention relates to files for securing bills and papers between a pair of stiff coverpieces; and it may be said to consist in the devices and the combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate the manner of carrying out my invention, Figure 1. is a broken longitudinal elevation of the file. Fig. 2 is a broken plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the arrangement of the clamping devices. Fig. 3 isa sectional viewof the file showing avariationin the form of the clamping devices, the section being taken on line x :0, Fig. 1-. Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal elevation of the file with the varied form of clamping devices applied thereto, and Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of the same.

The file here shown is designed to be used more especially as a holder for expressmens bills, or rather as an expressmans deliverybook; but of course it may be used as a permanent file for any desired purpose.

A represents a pair of standards, which are provided upon one side, so as to face inwardly, with a series of one or more notches, H, and which are securely fixed at their lower ends to the lower cover-piece, L. The upper covers piece,L,is provided with holes, through which the clamping standards A pass, and it is adapted to rise up and down uponsaid standards during the operation of the invention.

A pair of rotary cams, B, having a handle, F, formed upon or secured to them, and having a spiral feather, D E, located upon their periphery, are mounted on pivot-pins O,fixed in upper cover, L, as shown.

In place of the handle F the cams B can be made in the form of a thumb-screw,if desired, and their operation will be the same,provided they are fitted with the before mentioned feather.

The spiral feather D E on the cams is made to engagewith any one of the notches Hin the standards, according to the number and thickness of the sheets of paper that are located between the covers of the file. For instance, if but a few sheets are to be filed, the feather on the cams is made to engage with a notch quite near the lower end of the standards, and 1ikewise,when a considerable number are to be on the standards, as shown by dotted lines,'and the feather engages a notch near the upper end of the standards.

For the purpose of providinga more secure foundation for the pivots G and standards A than they would have if they were simply secured in the upper cover, L, Ilocate a plate of metal, 22, on the upper surface of said cover, as shown.

A circular recess, M, is formed in the periphery of the cams B, or rather in the feathers D E, which is to be engaged by the standards in lifting the upper cover out of its normal position in. placing sheets for filing. This recess is located as close to the standards as possible, so that the handle F will come in contact with them when thrown around to loosen up the covers, thereby causing the said taken care of,the upper coveris raised upward 6 recess to register with the standards,whether the operator is particular to make it do so or not, and making the operation more certain than it would he were said recess otherwise located.

The operation of this construction is as follows: The sheets to be filed are first perforated in any desired way, so as to engage the standards A. Then cams Bare loosened by being revolved until the recess therein registers with the body of the respective standards, after which the upper cover, L,is. removed, the sheets to be filed are placed upon the standards, the removed cover is replaced, and the cams B are revolved in 'an opposite direction until a sufficient pressure is placed upon the sheets to securely hold them in place. The operation of removing sheets from the file will be just the reverse of this, and may be easily done.

In the varied form of clamping devices shown in Figs 3 2 and 1 the standards A are provided with a series of projections or shoulders, H, upon opposite sidesthat is, the said projections are located on the standards in opposite pairs, and a laterally-sliding cam-plate, 8, having an inclined plane, 11, is to belused in lieu of the cams shown and described in the first part of the specification. The inclined planes 11 are located upon the upper side of the plate 8. Said plateis provided 'withalongitudinal slot, 23, near each of its ends, which is engaged by the standards, and by means of which the plate is held in position upon the up per cover of the file. It is also provided with -a centrally-located slot, 9,which is engaged by a thumb-screw, 10. This screw passes through the plate into the body of the upper cover,and may be tightened up or loosened, as the case may be, for the purpose of holding the camplate in whatever position it may be placed. a The operation of this latter construction is as follows: When the sheets are to be removed from the file,cam-plate 8 is pushed toward the right hand in Fig. 3 the thumb-screw 10 being of course loosened up first, until the circular recess 24 at the left-hand end of the slots 23 registers with the body of the standards, which operation, as will be seen, will permit the upper cover to be removed, and so on.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Apaper-file constructed with clampingstandards having notches upon their body and provided with cams which engage the notches, substantially as set forth.

2. A paper-file comprising an upper and a lower cover, standards upon which the paper is impaled, said standards provided with notches, as described, and cams which engage the notches in the standards to press the two covers together, substantially as set forth.

3. In afile of the class described, the combination, with the lower cover, of the standards A,having notches, as described, and securely fixed to the lower cover, the upper cover provided with holes, through which said standards pass, and cams which engage the notches in said standards to urge the covers toward each other, substantially as set forth.

4. In a paper file, a cam having a handle located at a suitable point upon its bodyand CHARLES J. MoRAE.

Witnesses:

A. E. BURG-nss, O. A. KENYON. 

